Fishing Your Way to Happiness

Bridget Grenville-Cleave, MAPP graduate of the University of East London,
is a UK-based positive psychology consultant, trainer and writer. She is author of
Introducing Positive Psychology: A Practical Guide (2012), and
The Happiness Equation
with Dr Ilona Boniwell. She regularly facilitates school well-being programs and Positive Psychology Masterclasses
for personal and
professional development. Find her on LinkedIn, Facebook and
Twitter @BridgetGC. Website. Full bio. Her articles are here.

Fishing on the banks

Our son, aged 12, loves watching a TV show called Extreme Fishing featuring the UK TV and stage actor (and onetime singer) Robson Green. Fishing is a funny thing. In the UK it’s predominately a male endeavor. Here I’ve never ever seen a woman fishing although this may not be the case elsewhere in the world. Women rarely make an appearance on this show either, unless as the clichéd attractive sidekick to the adventurous male lead.

Unless your friends are keen on fishing, I bet it’s not something you ever talk about. With prior apologies to any fishing fans, it’s often considered a wholeheartedly dull activity. You get kitted up in various shades of green, gray, or camouflage, patiently wait for hours on the riverbank for a fish to bite, and while doing that, you contemplate life, the universe, and everything. That’s it. For many people, going fishing is about as appealing as watching paint dry.

That’s how I used to think about fishing, but Extreme Fishing got me thinking about how hobbies and pastimes contribute so much more to our happiness and well-being. Perhaps they even make us the people we are. I bet when Robson Green started out as an actor in the late 1980s, he never imagined he’d be paid well to travel the world presenting a show about a hobby that he loves more than anything.

We can use a simple model like Seligman’s PERMA to think about the value of hobbies and pastimes and the part they play in our happiness.

P – Positive Emotions

Being a leisure activity that Robson Green freely chooses, you might imagine that fishing is non-stop whirl of positivity for him. Watching the show makes you realize that this is clearly not the case. What’s interesting about Extreme Fishing, and something that makes it so appealing to watch, is the huge roller coaster of both positive and negative emotions displayed in every show.

Catch of the day

He tries out fishing techniques, such as grabbling, a method of catching catfish by grabbing hold of the lower jaw with both hands, that he’s not familiar with and often not very good at. As you’d imagine, this causes some stress and anxiety. On top of this he’s usually required to do something much more physically challenging than just sitting on the riverbank, such as free diving or white water rafting. Most of the time he’s not looking forward to it, not expecting it, and finds it stressful and sometimes even frightening. That’s a combination that you wouldn’t think leads to greater well-being.

Of course, when the fish eventually bites and he lands his catch, he’s euphoric. Nobody does excitement, enthusiasm, and exhilaration quite like Robson Green. If he weren’t proudly clutching the mega monster he’s just caught to display it to the camera, he’d be bouncing around like Tigger, punching the air with both fists. The pent-up joy and jubilation jumps out in his voice instead. “Wow man, that’s the biggest fish I’ve ever caught/best fishing experience of my life!!” There’s absolutely no doubt that this really is one of the best things that has ever happened to him.

E – Engagement

Clearly extreme fishing is a flow experience for Robson Green. He’s pitting his wits against the fish, learning new angling techniques, trying new tackle, using his strengths, skills, and talents to catch the fish and convey the magnificence of the experience to viewers at home. There are times when it’s frustrating, when nothing goes according to plan, and he doesn’t land the fish he’s been trying so hard and waiting so long to catch. But he gets immediate feedback on what’s working or not working, so he can always try something new. Hope is never completely lost. Even when he’s not successful, he knows he gave it his best shot and can try again tomorrow.

It’s a step too far to say that Robson Green develops a relationship with the fish he catches. If it’s not thrown back in straightaway, it gets dished up with chili and lime later in the day, accompanied by a glass of chilled chardonnay. But it’s clear that he has a deep respect for the sea and all sea-life.

When fishing off the Azores in one episode, he finally catches a beautiful blue marlin. It weighs around 400-500 pounds so it’s a team effort to haul it in, not the job of a sole fisherman. It’s the prize catch, the best of his life he says, and there’s no doubting that he means it sincerely.

So Extreme Fishing isn’t about an individual activity. There’s at least one other angler (and often a small group) showing him the ropes and introducing him to new landscapes, tackle, and species. With fish often well over 50 pounds, you need the combined muscle power of several people to land your catch.

The aptitudes that make him a good actor come into play here: his empathy, emotional intelligence, and rapport-building skills are very handy when spending whole days stuck on a small boat with people he’s only just met.

M – Meaning

You get the feeling that fishing provides a sense of meaning and purpose for Robson Green though it’s difficult for us as mere viewers to say with certainty what that is. Earning a good living doing what you love doing may contribute to it. The show makes it evident that he feels a real connection with the wider world, the wonder of nature, and the beauty of the sea and sea-life. We learn in one episode that his grandfather taught him to fish, so it’s obviously an activity that carries a lot of emotional significance for him. But without being able to ask him, we just have to speculate about this PERMA element.

You only have to witness the proud ‘Display of The Catch’ and the accompanying whooping and hollering at the end of each conquest to know that extreme fishing is very much about achieving the challenge. Not getting a bite or even losing a fish from the line is a frustration that sometimes beleaguers Robson Green until the following morning, when a fresh opportunity presents itself. Ever the optimist though, each new day is filled with hope.

You can easily see how a pastime like fishing can become much more than a way to relax and unwind at the end of a busy week. Sitting on the riverbank with a rod and box of bait for days at a time will eventually lead you to become fairly knowledgeable about fish and fishing, but it’s only by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and into new realms that you’ll develop deep expertise.

You could, for example, use a fishing trip as an opportunity to learn and practice new techniques, such as fly fishing or casting with your left hand as easily as you can with your right. You could try new bait and getting comfortable with new tackle. This would be a great example of what psychologist K. Anders Ericsson calls deliberate practice, in other words, not just repeating what you already know how to do quite well, but setting yourself new challenges which stretch you and enable you to improve. It’s this type of practice that is essential if you want to develop expertise in a subject.

Over to You

After watching another entertaining episode of Extreme Fishing, I’m wondering whether you’ve considered all the ways in which your own hobbies contribute to your happiness, other than just giving you the opportunity to feel good. The chances are that they also tick several PERMA boxes.

You could also use another model, such as NEF’s 5 Ways to Well-being: Connect, Be active, Take notice, Keep learning, Give, to count the ways. Finally consider how you could stretch yourself a little further, by introducing something new and previously untried. You don’t have to go as far as Robson Green in Extreme Fishing, but looking for new and interesting ways to develop your skills will keep the passion for your pastime alive for many years to come.

UEL Cohort 1 MAPP graduate with over 20 years experience in organisations, working as a Positive Psychology trainer, consultant, coach and lecturer. Author of 5 psychology books including 101 Activities for Happiness Workshops, Positive Psychology: A Practical Guide and The Happiness Equation. Co-designer of the "How's Your Day?' happiness phone app. My partner, teenage son and I live in the Cotswolds.

6 comments

LeanneSeptember 30, 2014 - 6:59 pm

Thanks for this great article. My husband is a mad keen fisherman and would often say how he felt great when he was out fishing. I remember one day he came home in a bad mood, I told him to go fishing, when he returned he was so calm & relaxed. Since we’ve been married I’ve also taken an interest in fishing, you know what they say ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’. That’s how it was with me. I love fishing and totally agree how it affects your mental well-being and the roller coaster of emotions, more so in my husband! This weekend I will be reflecting on your wonderful article as we head off to go fly fishing on Melville Island, Australia! Thank you.

I’m so glad you liked this article! It’s so important to share some interests isn’t it? My partner and I share a love of walking and the outdoors, although we have other hobbies that we do individually.

As you mention that you took up fishing (presumably not being that interested in it before you met your husband) reminds me of an article I read once about the psychology of interest – it seems that we’re not very good at forecasting what we’ll actually be interested in – once we give something a go, it can turn out to be a whole lot more enjoyable and motivating to do than we’d expected. That’s a very interesting idea in itself I think!

Robson Green has filmed many episodes of Extreme Fishing in and around Australia – there was one of him catching milkfish with sliced white bread from the supermarket as bait!

Nice thoughts about the fishing experience. I run a fishing store after years of being a marriage and family therapist. It provides a playful experience where I can practice mindful living. I practice being present when I fish because distractions may let the big fish get away. I suspend judging every cast or technique because it reduces my curiosity which is how I learn more about fishing. And lastly, I don’t strive for the big one because every fish has that opportunity and if I do not treat each fish that way the big one may get away. Nice observations about fishing, it is a joyful experience.

Great article. I think the allure of fishing, much like sports, is the drama. Fisherman fail more than they succeed, making hundreds of empty casts before finding willing fish. The thrill comes from beating the odds and finding quarry you can’t see beneath the surface.

Loved the article.. being someone who has suffered from depression i can defiantly being around the ocean alone helps heal so much. Fishing is also so great because it allows you to be distracted a little but also gives you some quiet time as well. The thrill of landing a fish is always such a mood boost!!

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